Create a WorldCat link

Build a Web link to the WorldCat page for a particular item, author or to WorldCat search results

Link into WorldCat, to help promote libraries on the Web. When you link from your site, Facebook page, tweet, blog or course management system into WorldCat instead of commercial third-party sites, you help connect people to their local library. You'll help get the word out about WorldCat, and demonstrate your altruistic support for libraries in general.

It's easy to create links in to WorldCat. Some, like the permalink, are ready-made on the detailed record page. With others, you simply embed certain kinds of information within the link. Options include linking to:

Specific items using the OCLC Number, ISBN, ISSN, or Title of the work

Lists for interesting content

Identities for authors and characters

Topical search results pages

Use of WorldCat Links is subject to the WorldCat Terms and Conditions. You must read and agree to the WorldCat Terms and Conditions before creating and using WorldCat links.

Use the title, permalink/OCLC Number, ISBN, or ISSN for specific item

Link directly to the detailed record—it's easy to grab it and go.

Look for the "permalink" icon right above the "More like this" section, or find specific instructions for linking to the OCLC Number, ISBN or ISSN:

Use the title to create a WorldCat link

You can build a WorldCat link to relevant results pages by only knowing the title of an item. Use this format when you don't know the OCLC Number, ISBN or ISSN—or if you want to showcase the breadth of formats, editions or languages available.

Link Format

Example Link

* Not all book, recordings, etc. may have an ISBN; in that case, use OCLC Number instead. Note that different versions of a source work (i.e. editions, translations, large-print format) may have different ISBNs

Link Format

Example Link

To find the ISSN for an item:

Look near the front of a serial, usually in the box that lists publisher, staff, etc.

Look in the Details section of a detailed record

Add geographic limiting to an item-specfic WorldCat link

Your ISBN, ISSN or OCLC Number-based link can also limit WorldCat results to only those libraries within a particular geographic area. You can limit by:

5-digit postal ZIP code (U.S.)

State name or postal abbreviation (U.S.)

Country name

Location information is preceded in the link by the indicator &loc=. Multiple words in state or country names (for instance, New Mexico) are separated by the plus-sign (+) character (New+Mexico). See example links below.

Create or connect to lists for interesting content

Let people know what you're reading—or what's new in your library.

Share lists with others through RSS feeds for subject-specific content. Or set a watch on lists you're interested in. If you're a WorldCat Library, you get a new list each month of the most popular, most recently-added items to your collection that are also added to WorldCat—automatically.

Example Lists

Connect to WorldCat Identities for authors and characters

Found through an item's detailed record—WorldCat Identities show you all the works associated with your favorite authors, plus timelines, cover art, related characters, audience level indications and more.

Get to WorldCat Identities pages from "Find more information about" drop down in the Details section of a detailed record display.

Embed a keyword search for topical search results pages

Build your link by embedding one or more search keywords at the end of the link following the search?q= query indicator.

Keywords in some cases must be preceded by an encoded abbreviation for the type of search index:

Author index keywords are preceded by the indicator au:.Title index keywords are preceded by the indicator ti:.Subject index keywords have no preceding indicator.

Multiple keywords (for instance, the title Harry Potter) within an index are separated by the plus-sign (+) character (Harry+Potter). See example links below.

To embed search terms for more than one index—for instance, author and title—you may find it easiest to use the WorldCat Advanced Search page to generate your link. Also note that within your link you can additionally embed a WorldCat Affiliate ID, a special identifier you obtained if you placed the freely distributed WorldCat search box. on your Web site.